1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wooden tubes fabricated from thin strips of wood veneer and to the method of making such tubes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wooden tubes if properly made have a wide variety of applications in various industries. For example, in the boating industry, tubular members can be used for masts and spars. In the building industry wooden tubes can be used for ornamental columns, stair spindles and banisters and in the air craft industry, as structural members for ultra-light aircraft. Tubes with an attractive wood grain also are sought for constructing furniture and accessories. Such wooden tubular members aside from offering an attractive wood grain also are highly desirable because of the high strength to weight ratio when compared with tubes made with resins or aluminum.
The prior art refers to wooden tubes in which the wood veneer is wound in a roll as a continuous sheet to form multiple layers on a mandrel or a continuous band spirally wound. Both forms of construction results in overlaps of the layers of thin wood which are clearly apparent in the finished product. Attempts to remove such overlaps by sanding is not practical because it destroys the appearance and strength of the tubing.
Although wooden tubes are referred to in the prior art, commercially available wooden tubes are very limited in both diameter and length and are not available in smaller diameters less than 5 inches or in lengths in excess of 2 feet.